Eric Libreros sat on the cold concrete Thursday, leaning against the brick wall of the Greyhound bus terminal in the Intermodal Transportation Center on East Bayfront Parkway.

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With the wind blowing and temperatures in the lower 40s, Libreros, said he was cold, uncomfortable and disappointed that the doors to Greyhound station remain locked after closing in May.

"It's hard to sit out here all day. It's cold as hell," he said.

Libreros, 22, who was headed to Steel City Con in Monroeville, said he rides Greyhound frequently.

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"I have to. It's my only option," he said.

A change of status

For Greyhound passengers arriving, departing or stopping in Erie, there's been no access to the building since May, when Greyhound's rented space in the Intermodal Center was converted to an e-ticket location. As part of that change, the building was locked, eliminating access to restrooms and a climate-controlled waiting room.

Julie Minich, interim executive director of All Aboard Erie, cited concerns for both Greyhound passengers as well as drivers and passengers for Erie Metropolitan Authority buses.

"Why is this important? Minich asked in an emailed invitation to a news conference.

"No one can use the restroom! No one can get out of the weather! No one can get a snack," she wrote. "The bus drivers can’t use the restrooms in the building which EMTA owns. Would you like to go to your workplace and not have access to a bathroom?"

Jeremy Peterson, CEO of EMTA, said that Greyhound, which is under contract for at least three more years, continues to pay its rent.

"There is an agreement in place," he said. "If Greyhound wasn't paying, you are talking about a completely different situation."

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In response to an email question from the Erie Times-News in May, a former Greyhound spokeswoman described the elimination of the ticket agent as permanent.

"Greyhound stops at a range of locations across its extensive network. Similar to the rest of the intercity bus industry, some of these stops are self-service locations," the company spokeswoman said in May, "After a thorough review of our service in the area, Greyhound decided to transition to the aforementioned industry-wide model so that we can continue to provide this essential service to the community."

In search of a solution

Now, more than six months later, there is no indication that the arrangement will change.

"As an industry standard, bus operators conduct service from a unique mix of locations including owned stations, transit centers, gas stations, convenience stores, restaurants, community landmarks and more" Greyhound spokeswoman Lourdes Brown said last week. "This is true as well for Greyhound locations across our network, including Erie where we continue to service as an e-Stop."

Despite the fact EMTA is collecting regular rental checks, Peterson said he would like to see the situation improve.

"We are still looking at what we could do to help the situation," Peterson said. "We want to be part of a solution, not a hindrance. It's going to take a collaborative effort to come up with a plan."

Brown, the Greyhound spokeswoman, had a different understanding of the situation in Erie.

"Customers do have access to parts of the building including restrooms," she wrote in an email exchange.

Jonathan Haubert and Justin Hollabaugh, who had been waiting for a bus for most of an hour after friends dropped them off Thursday, had expected they would have access to a restroom and a warm place to sit.

"This is ridiculous," Haubert said. "It's really cold. What if it were snowing?"

Peterson stressed repeatedly that Greyhound, as a paying tenant, had a right to lock the doors if the company elected to do so.

But Peterson did express surprise that the company seemed unaware that customers had been locked out in the cold and that patrons use the facilities at Blasco Library.

He said, "Whoever is speaking on behalf of Greyhound, they may want to take a trip to Erie and take a look at the situation they got themselves into."

Contact Jim Martin at jmartin@timesnews.com.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie's Greyhound passengers can't come in from out of the cold